1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven, and, more particularly, to an improved structure of a ventilation motor assembly fitted above a cavity of a microwave oven for discharging, not only heat, smoke, smell from an inside of the microwave oven, but also heat, smoke, smell from a gas oven range provided below the microwave oven.
2. Background of the Related Art
The microwave oven is a cooker having a magnetron for generating, and directing a microwave to cooking material, to cause molecular movement therein, that generates a heat for the cooking material. Recently, a microwave oven is developed, which has a function of the cooker itself, as well as a function of ventilator that removes heat, gas, and smell for food from a gas range or gas oven range. Such a microwave oven is in general placed over the gas oven range, to call such a microwave oven as OTR (Over-the-Range) type microwave oven. A ventilation motor assembly of the related art OTR type microwave oven will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view showing a system of related art ventilation motor and sirocco fan.
Referring to the drawing, the ventilation motor 2 is provided between one pair of supports 4, for forming an air flow. The ventilation motor 2 has one pair of sirocco fans 12 and 24 shaft connected thereto on both sides thereof. The sirocco fan shaft connected on a left side thereof is called as a left fan 14, and the sirocco fan shaft connected on a right side thereof is called as a right fan 24. There is a fan housing 12 or 22 enclosing each of the fans 14 or 24. There is an air outlet 12b or 22b and an air inlet 12a and 22a in each of the fan housings 12 or 22 in a direction of the shaft. The air inlet 12a or 22a is formed in a side of each of the fan housings 12 or 22, and the air outlet 12b or 22b is formed in an outer circumference of the fan housing 12 or 22 in a direction perpendicular to the shaft direction, such that an air flow through the air inlet 12a or 22a and the air flow through the air outlet 12b or 22b are perpendicular to each other.
In the meantime, the fan housings 12 and 22 enclosing the left and right fans 14 and 24 are rotatable centered on the vent motor 2, to change a direction of the air outlet according to rotation of the fan housings 12 and 22. Arrows and symbols xe2x80x98fxe2x80x99 on the drawing represent directions of air flows.
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a microwave oven showing a related art ventilation motor fitted thereto.
Referring to FIG. 2, there is an electric fitting room 36 at a side of a cavity 32 for accommodating food to be cooked therein, and an exhaust gas passage in rear of the electric fitting room 36 for guiding exhaust gas from a gas oven range under the microwave oven to above the cavity 32. There is an air duct 34 over the cavity 32, and the ventilation motor 2 fitted in rear of the air duct 34. The fan housings 12 and 22 on both sides of the ventilation motor 2 are fitted in a lateral direction of the microwave oven. That is, the one pair of air inlets 12a and 22a in the fan housings face left and right sides of the microwave oven, and the one pair of the air outlet 12b and 22b in the fan housings 12 and 22 are provided to face an upper part of the microwave oven.
The work of the related art ventilation motor assembly in a microwave oven will be explained. At first, the operation of the related art ventilation motor assembly will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. The left and right fans 14 and 24 on the ventilation motor 2 are rotated in the same direction as the ventilation motor 2 is come into operation, to draw air along a shaft direction into the one pair of fan housings 12 and 22 on the same time, and discharge through the air outlet 12b in a direction vertical to the direction of air inlet.
The air flow will be described with reference to FIG. 2. When the ventilation motor 2 is put into operation, an exhaust gas from the gas oven range under the microwave oven flows into the microwave oven through an air suction (not shown) in the side of the microwave oven. The exhaust gas then flows toward the one pair of fan housings 12 and 22 on both sides of the ventilation motor 2 through a space formed between a rear wall of the electric fitting room 36 and a rear wall of the microwave oven. The exhaust drawn through the one pair of fan housings 12 and 22 is discharged above the microwave oven through the air outlets 12b and 22b in the fan housings. In this instance, as the fan housings 12 and 22 are rotatable, different from the drawing, the air outlets 12b and 22b may face front, or rear of the microwave oven. That is, directions of the exhaust gas discharged by the ventilation motor 2 vary with directions of the fan housings 12 and 22.
However, the related art ventilation motor assembly has the following problems in view of a system.
The related art ventilation motor assembly has an air flow direction toward the ventilation motor 2 only when the ventilation motor 2 is in operation. That is, when the ventilation motor 2 is in operation, the exhaust gas flows into the one pair of the fan housings 12 and 22 on the same time along a shaft direction, and discharged through the air outlet 12b in a direction perpendicular to a direction of inlet. Accordingly, the fixed air flow direction in designing suction/discharge structure of the microwave oven in the related art ventilation motor assembly substantially limits air flow structural design, that makes a structure of the electric fitting room complicate. That is, the related art ventilation motor assembly leads to require a separate ventilation system for the electric fitting room, such that cooling down of the electric fittings in the electric fitting room is invariably made by a separate cooling fan, to require a separate air flow passage, that makes an internal structure of the microwave oven complicate.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a ventilation motor assembly in a microwave oven that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation motor assembly in a microwave oven, in which a variety of air flows are formed for forming a variety of air suction/discharge structures of the microwave oven.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the structure of a ventilation motor assembly in a microwave oven includes a ventilation motor having first and second shafts fitted in opposite directions, a sirocco fan interlocked with the first shaft for drawing air in a direction of the first shaft and discharging in a direction perpendicular to the first shaft, and a radial fan interlocked with the second shaft for drawing air in a direction perpendicular to the second shaft and discharging in a direction of the second shaft, thereby permitting the sirocco fan and the radial fan to form air flows different from each other when the ventilation motor is in operation, to provide a variety of air suction/discharge structures for ventilation of the microwave oven and a variety of air flow structures for prevention of temperature rise.
It is preferable that a fan housing having an air outlet in an outer surface thereof and an angle of fitting position variable as the fan housing is rotated round the first shaft is provided around the sirocco fan, thereby permitting to direct air discharged from the sirocco fan in a variety of directions by varying a fitting position of the fan housing.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.